Here Are The TV Shows You Should Watch Now That 'Breaking Bad' Is Over

Kirsten Acuna

Friday

Sep 27, 2013 at 12:01 AM

"Breaking Bad" ended its five season run this Sunday.

Now that we've bid farewell to the greatest meth kingpin of all time, other than dealing with the fall out from the finale for a few days, the next question is what do we watch now?

We've already accepted that it will be pretty difficult for anything to live up to or replace the AMC series.

But since we're voracious television consumers, we know it's impossible to stop watching TV all together.

We've compiled a list of similar shows that you should check out to help console your "Breaking Bad" craving. Better, we've tried to find many shows that fit into that same time slot so you don't feel a gaping hole in your viewing habits when Sunday rolls around.

Now in its third season, Showtime's hit follows CIA agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) in her struggle to bring down al-Qaida terrorists.

Pros: A lot of plot twists and turns. The series beat out "Breaking Bad" to win the best drama series Emmy last year. Cons: Danes' cryface ... or maybe that's a positive. (To each his own.) Danes' relationship with a wanted criminal became the center of the show last season. The season 3 premiere aired during the "Breaking Bad" finale.

Network: ShowtimeAirtime: 9 p.m.

2. "Boardwalk Empire"

Forget the meth kingpin Heisenberg and follow politician and gangster Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi). The HBO series follows the life of Thompson during the prohibition era in Atlantic City, N.J.

Pros: The series has won 17 Primetime Emmys including one from actor Bobby Cannavale who beat out Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") for Best Supporting Actor.Cons: The show has dipped in popularity since season 1.

3. "The Walking Dead"

Feel like the world is over now that "Breaking Bad" is done? These people are actually living it as a group of survivors led by former Sheriff's Deputy, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln).

Pros: While you're not watching a protagonist become an antagonist, you are watching the way a group of survivors has been changed — and continues to change — due to a zombie outbreak.Cons: There are always complaints on social media that the series drags when the show kicks aside zombie drama for character development.

The best part? It airs on the same network at the same time.

Network: AMCAirtime: 9 p.m. (starts Oct. 13)

More of a binge-watcher?

Here are the top shows we recommend to get caught up with on a streaming site like Netflix or HBOGo.

4. "Weeds"

This is as close as you're getting to another show about someone who sells drugs to provide for their family. Another dramedy, the Showtime series focuses on Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) who sells weed in place of meth to make money after her husband dies to make ends meet.

5. "The Wire"

Think "Breaking Bad" is the best show on television? Many critics and fans have always called the HBO drama that chronicles the illegal drug trade in Baltimore, Md. one of the best dramas ever made. You get to view the story from both the drug dealers and police.

6. "The Sopranos"

Inarguably, another one of the greatest TV shows to have ever aired, the HBO series about an Italian-American mob follows Tony Soprano (the late James Gandolfini) who — like Walter White — is trying to balance a life of crime and family.

7. "Sons of Anarchy"

This show's just about over so there's no sense in starting its sixth season now. But if you're all about outlaws, look no further than the raunchy FX drama about a motorcycle gang that addresses everything from gun-trafficking to suicide and rape.

Off season shows:

8. "Ray Donovan"

Cops, crime, problematic family members? Check, check, and check. Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) may not be dealing drugs, but he is wheeling and dealing with rich and famous clients who get into "messes" (dead bodies, drugs, etc.) which he cleans up. Add in Donovan's fresh-out-of-jail dad (Jon Voight) and the FBI which wants to take him down.

The Showtime series just wrapped up its first season and has been renewed for a second season next summer.

9. "Game of Thrones"

Based off George R.R. Martin's popular series, there is always a lot of bloodshed and backstabbing while families are fighting for the right to rule the fictional land of Westeros. The show has nothing to do with drug deals, but if you want to watch another popular, talked-about show with mind-blowing episode endings, this is it. Plus, there are dragons! (Sometimes.) You'll have to wait as the series doesn't return on HBO until next spring.